"Others speak softly and sell themselves better. Unlike , who’s stiff and blunt. That fourth son’s wife and those kids are biased towards them over there."
"We didn’t help them much, but back then we couldn’t. A son doesn’t despise his mother for being ugly, a dog doesn’t mind a poor ho. If Old Fourth really becos distant and resents us because of this, then he’s heartless."
Old Master Lian remained silent, often deferring to Lady Zhou, not just because she was his wife and they needed to support each other, but also because arguing with her was too draining. If he had to argue with her every ti, he’d have no ti for anything else in his life.
"Old Fourth wasn’t like this before; it’s because he’s been away too long, led astray by his wife." Lady Zhou added, "That woman, she’s got a grudge against , wishing dead. She pretends to be nice, seeking a reputation for virtue. She never steps up when there’s an issue, just stirs trouble behind the scenes, making my son go against . Heartless, sharp-tongued..."
This ti, Lady Zhou didn’t shout insults but quietly cursed inside the house until night, stopping only after going to bed. In the middle of the night, she got up to relieve herself, then returned to sit on the kang, lit a candle, and cursed for a while before going back to sleep.
Old Master Lian snored the whole ti, unaware of whether he was disturbed.
...
Lian Shouxin returned to his place from the old house, and as soon as he stepped in, Lady Zhang brought him inside. The house was full of joy, and seeing Lian Shouxin back, the children all greeted him eagerly.
Nobody asked Lian Shouxin what had happened at the old house, except Lady Zhang, who had soone bring him a bowl of rock sugar white fungus soup, saying it was to ward off autumn dryness.
Before Lian Shouxin arrived, Lady Zhang and Lian Manman had already heard about what happened from the servant’s mouth. Lian Manman then quietly told Wu Lang, Lian Zhizhi, and Xiao Qi about it.
Lian Shouxin’s ability to stand tall and firmly protect his wife and children this ti made the family especially happy. They all knew that as long as Lian Shouxin held his ground and wasn’t controlled, there would be no trouble from the old house.
"Does your third brother still keep close ties with the old house?" Lady Li took a mont to ask Lady Zhang.
"They’re real father and son, so they’re still close, right. He visits the old house whenever he has ti." Lady Zhang replied.
"That’s true." Lady Li nodded, "How does the old house treat him?"
"Better than before." Lady Zhang thought for a mont, then said,
It’s indeed better than before. Lian Shouli built his own house and now supports his family without asking anything from the old house. Even if he reached out, it would only be to help them. Naturally, the old house can’t boss him around like they used to.
"It’s just like when we first split from the family." Lady Zhang continued, "There are just a few people in the old house. The old master and lady depend on him to run errands. Most of the ti when sothing cos up, he’s the one they call."
"The third brother is a good person." Lady Li said.
He might be confused, not clear on certain things. But neither Lady Li nor Lady Zhang voiced this out loud.
The night passed without further words, and the next day, Lian Manman’s family sent a carriage to take Lady Zhang Wang back to Burner Pot Village. Lady Li and Zhang Caiyun stayed behind, doing needlework with Lian Zhizhi every day.
As the weather grew cooler day by day, Lian Manman’s first batch of stuffed ducks was ready, and the first batch of roast duck chefs were successfully trained. Everyone tasted the roast duck made with stuffed ducks and couldn’t stop praising it. The authoritative Mr. Loo gave it high praise.
With everything prepared, Lian Shouxin and Wu Lang went to Prefecture City, spending two thousand silver coins to rent a restaurant. Mr. Loo, Lian Manman, Wu Lang, and Shopkeeper Chen drafted plans and hired craftsn to renovate the restaurant according to these plans, establishing it as the site for Lian’s Roast Duck Shop. Shopkeeper Chen was promoted to manage the roast duck shop and did not disappoint. He led his team, shuttling between Thirty Mile Camp and the Prefecture City, ensuring everything was well-prepared.
Lian’s Roast Duck Shop chose an auspicious day for its grand opening, and naturally, Lian Manman had to go.
After lunch that day, three carriages were prepared outside. Mr. Loo, Lian Shouxin, and Xiao Qi rode in one carriage, while Lian Manman, along with maids Xiao Xi and Xiao Qing, rode in another. The third carriage carried the household steward and servant, escorting the luggage of the group. They left Thirty Mile Camp, heading first to Jinyang County Town.
Lady Zhang and Lian Zhizhi stayed ho, with Lady Li and Zhang Caiyun accompanying them, making the group of four good company. Lady Li helped with the household matters, allowing Lady Zhang so ease. Furthermore, Steward Han Zhong was left behind to manage outside affairs.
A distance of thirty miles wasn’t too far. When they reached Jinyang County Town, they stayed in the house at Willow Tree Well Alley. Since Thirty Mile Camp was far from the Prefecture City, there was no need to rush, so they rested in Jinyang County Town for a night and set off for Prefecture City early the next morning.
From Jinyang County Town to Prefecture City, they needed to pass through three counties. At noon, they stopped in Fuyuan County’s town for a al before continuing on their journey, finally arriving at the southern city gate of the Prefecture City by evening.
The Prefecture City of Liaodong Prefecture, nad Shen City, was a historically significant fortress that underwent several expansions. Despite the evening, the flow of people and rchants at the city gate continued unceasingly. Lian Manman ordered the carriages to travel slowly.
The evening glow of the setting sun cast a golden hue on the towering city walls and the majestic city tower.
PS: Shen City is partially fictional, please do not compare it with reality. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welco to vote for it on Qidian (qidian). Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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